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PROTXX and AltaML Combine Phybrata Sensors and Machine Learning to Set New Benchmark in Concussion Diagnostics

November 25, 2021 3 min read
AltaML Updates

Silicon Valley and Calgary-based precision health care technology pioneer PROTXX and Alberta-based applied artificial intelligence (AI) studio AltaML, have set a new benchmark in concussion diagnostics.

Results recently published in the journal Sensors demonstrate that the classification performance achieved for concussion biomarkers derived using the combination of phybrata sensor data and machine learning (ML) models exceeds previously reported approaches to ML-based concussion diagnostics using a wide range of other data sources, including MRI, fMRI, computerized balance and gait analyses, and blood biomarkers. The study also demonstrates the first combination of a wearable sensor and ML model that can distinguish between concussion-induced disruptions within the brain vs. the vestibular balance organs.

Phybrata sensing, a technology pioneered by PROTXX, is used to detect microscopic involuntary motions of the body caused by neurophysiological impairments that disrupt the body’s motor control. Measuring these motions at the head enables detection of signals that independently identify and quantify impairments to multiple physiological systems based on the unique contributions that they make to biomechanical stabilization of the head and eyes as the reference platform used by the body to enable balance and movement.

PROTXX has previously shown that phybrata biomarkers enable detection and classification of neurological, sensory, and musculoskeletal impairments with performance that matches current gold standard laboratory solutions such as computerized dynamic posturography, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy all above 90%.

The AltaML collaboration has led to the development of a ML model that is able to identify a wider range of relevant phybrata signal features that contribute to impairment classification, further enhancing the diagnostic performance beyond the capabilities of manual feature inspection and statistical data analysis.

AltaML is developing a portfolio of future-focused AI-powered software solutions across multiple industries, including health care.

“Today’s announcement highlights the power of collaborative innovation whereby deep AI and domain expertise are brought together by the AltaML and PROTXX teams to develop new solutions driven by AI,” said Cory Janssen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AltaML. “We are excited to have been able to contribute to this important clinical application of the phybrata sensing.”

PROTXX integrates these wearable sensor and ML innovations into a precision health care platform that replaces bulky and expensive clinical equipment and time-consuming testing procedures for a variety of neurodegenerative medical conditions, disrupting diagnosis, and treatment with easy-to-use low-cost precision patient assessments.

“The integration of phybrata sensing and machine learning to help automate concussion diagnoses and recovery monitoring provides important new capabilities for improving patient quality of care while saving significant healthcare dollars,” said Dr. Ashutosh Raina, Pediatric Neurologist and Co-Founder of the Concussion Medical Clinic in Sacramento, CA.

“The application of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques is a key enabler for our highly scalable precision healthcare platform and its ability to improve the diagnoses and treatment of concussions and many other complex neurological medical conditions,” added John Ralston, PROTXX CEO and Founder.


About AltaML

AltaML is a leading developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions. Working with organizations that want to use AI to leverage their data to develop solutions that drive tangible business results, AltaML empowers partners to create operational efficiency, reduce risks and generate new sources of revenue. Through a deep understanding of organizational pain points and challenges, AltaML’s solutions encompass the entire machine learning (ML) life cycle, from evaluating potential use cases and determining feasibility to piloting solutions, putting code into production, and ensuring model evolution.

About PROTXX

PROTXX innovations in wearable sensors, machine learning, and remote patient care transform the lives of tens of millions of people with complex neurophysiological medical conditions that can result from injuries, disease, and aging. With offices in Menlo Park, California, and Calgary, Alberta, the company is led by an accomplished team of IoT device and data platform engineers, clinical neurology researchers and practitioners, and digital healthcare business professionals, and is supported by a well-established network of R&D, manufacturing, clinical pilot, and business development partners in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Europe.


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